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Look Out, Snapchat : Facebook Plans its Own Snap Service

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief, has been supervising a top-secret project after failing to woe Snapchat’s creators Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy to sell. Facebook knew Snapchat had an edge and wanted to pick up the startup last year for a reported $3 billion. But that number didn’t affect Snapchat as it continued adding features to the app that made people want it more.

Last month, it updated the app (with wild success) to include video chatting and text-based messaging as well, thereby fully deploying its messaging store without losing its core feature – all communication from Snapchat still get deleted after a short period.

Facebook is now working on its own private sharing app called “SlingShot”, which would primarily be a video-based service. But can it dethrone Snapchat, which already has a big user base, longer market exposure and exciting features?

The one area where Facebook can truly capitalize is by going after Snapchat’s weaknesses. One of them is that the app had to pay a large settlement in a lawsuit which alleged messages don’t get destroyed permanently or immediately. Snapchat agreed to the charges and decided to settle with the FTC. Currently it’s credibility is lost and there’s definitely a bit of stink attached to the app at the moment. Facebook has this moment’s window to make their play, by releasing a completely secure, self-destructing chat service.

Facebook’s supposed SlingShot app will upset Snapchat’s growth course, but to what degree is presently unknown. Facebook could do maximum damage by bundling it with its Messenger, rather than releasing it as a standalone app. This added feature would go a long way towards ensuring more engaged users.

Slingshot takes a different approach. It is said to resemble TapTalk, a new video-messaging app from Berlin-based Wit Dot Media released last month, in which users tap or hold a contact’s profile picture to instantly send a photo or short video, which can be viewed only once by the recipient.

Private messaging is a big portion of all smartphone usage. One thing is certain: Facebook will have a enormous user base to tap into with SlingShot and the numbers dwarfs Snapchat’s active user base. So if SlingShot is any good at all, it may be worrying days for Snapchat.

May 19, 2014
Top 6 Pocket Cameras : Pick One Which is Right For You
No, we refuse to acknowledge the statement that smartphones are point-and-shoot replacements. No matter how good your camera phone may be, it still doesn’t have the technology to beat the image quality of the following cameras. Unlike DSLR’s, where you have to manage several lenses – these are handy, cheaper and super convenient if you’re constantly on the go.

Here are a list of pocket size cameras that you’d wish you’d bought earlier:

1. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10

Key features
- 20MP 1″-type BSI CMOS sensor (13.2 x 8.8mm)
- 24-200mm equivalent stabilized F2.8 lens
- Weather-sealed magnesium alloy body
- Manual zoom and aperture rings
- Tilting 1.23 million dot rear LCD
- 1.44M dot OLED viewfinder
- ISO 125 – 12800 (expandable down to ISO 80)
- Built-in 3EV Neutral Density filter
- Approx 10 fps continuous shooting in ‘Speed Priority mode’
- 1080/60p video with full-sensor sampling, uncompressed HDMI output
- Wi-Fi with NFC
To many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, digital SLRs represent quality. The fact that you can remove the lens and swap it for another is inconsequential to those who never buy a second optic. It’s that segment of the market that Sony’s targeting with its Cyber-shot RX10. We love the Sony RX10. But your $1,300 goes a very long way here, and if you need to capture sharp images and full-HD video clips in pretty much any lighting condition, with a vast focal range, you’d be hard pressed to find a more suitable shooter. This is the best fixed-lens camera we’ve ever used, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the RX10 Mark II, whenever that comes about, is the only comparable model worth considering.

[button link=”http://www.flipkart.com/sony-dsc-rx10-point-shoot-camera/p/itmdvx7gbgwkg62r?pid=CAMDVX66GZXTG8RQ&srno=t_2&query=rx+10&affid=bhnagpalgm” size=”large” text_size=”beta” newtab=”on”]Price : Rs79989[/button]

2.Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III

Key Features:
- 20.1 megapixel 1″-type Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor
- 24-70mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens
- Pop-up SVGA OLED electronic viewfinder with 1.44M dots
- 3-inch tilting WhiteMagic LCD with 1.23M dots
- 1080/60p video with full sensor readout and 50Mbps XAVC S support
- Clean HDMI output
- Zebra pattern and focus peaking
- Customizable front lens ring
- 3-stop neutral density filter
- Wi-Fi with NFC and downloadable apps
- 320 shots per charge (CIPA standard)
The pocket-sized shooter processes video in XAVC S format, which, according to Sony, lets you record 1080p videos at a much faster data rate and with very little compression — in other words, this will make your movies look a lot better and crisper. To go with that, Sony also added a built-in, retractable OLED electronic viewfinder (which wasn’t present on either of the older editions), WiFi/NFC for wireless sharing and the ability to capture 4K still images, making the newest RX100 an even more powerful little camera.

3.Leica T (Typ 701)

Key features:
- 16MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- ISO 100-12500
- 3.7″ 1.3M dot 16:9 touchscreen LCD
- Twin top-plate control dials
- Approx 5 fps continuous shooting
- 1920 x 1080 Full HD movie recording at 30 fps; built-in stereo microphones
- Built-in Wi-Fi for easy image sharing, and remote control by smartphone or tablet
- Optional 2.36M dot electronic viewfinder with built-in GPS unit
- Built-in 16GB memory
- Brand new Leica T mount
- 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 and 23mm f/2 lenses
- 11-23mm f/3.5-4.5 and 55-135mm f/3.5-4.5 coming later in the year (at photokina 2014)
- Available in anodized black or natural aluminum finish
This is a Leica for the modern age! It’s also quite a bit smaller than the company’s rangefinder cameras (134 x 69 x 33mm), especially in terms of height, not to mention a whole lot lighter (339g without battery, 384g with). That’s actually a little surprising, because the Leica T’s attractive, Audi Design-styled body is milled from a solid block of aluminum. A first for any camera, claims its maker.

4.Canon G16

Key features
- 12.1 Megapixel 1/1.7″ CMOS Sensor
- Canon 5x Optical Zoom Lens (28-140mm)
- Optical Zoom Viewfinder and 3.0″ LCD
- Full HD 1080/60p Video
- DIGIC 6 Image Processing Engine
- Enhanced Wi-Fi Capabilities
- Continuous Shooting at 9.3 fps
- Intelligent IS Image Stabilization
- ISO 12800 and Canon HS SYSTEM
The Canon PowerShot G16 belongs to a long line of chunky compacts aimed at enthusiasts. Announced in August 2013 it’s the replacement for the PowerShot G15. The G series has earned a reputation as a serious compact with image quality, performance and handling that won’t disappoint those who’d probably rather be using a DSLR, if it weren’t for the added bulk. The Canon PowerShot G16 is a reassuring camera that does a good job. Its only real stand-out feature is improved responsiveness brought by the Digic 6 image processor. It is an ideal companion for users looking for a classic safe bet and who aren’t tempted by originality or eye-catching innovations. This camera is certainly built to stand the test of time, but the G series also needs to move with the times, otherwise it risks being left behind.

5.FUJIFILM XF1

Key features
- 12MP 2/3″ EXR-CMOS sensor
- ISO 100-3200, ISO 4000-6400 at 6MP resolution, ISO 12800 at 3MP
- 25-100mm equivalent, F1.8-4.9 lens with optical image stabilization (4 stops benefit claimed)
- Manual zoom ring and lens retraction mechanism
- Full manual control, RAW format recording
- 3″ 460k dot LCD
- Full HD movie recording with built-in stereo microphones
- Film simulation modes for different colour and monochrome ‘looks’
- In-camera RAW conversion with all in-camera processing parameters adjustable
- ‘Advanced Filters’ image-processing controls, previewed live on-screen
Fuji’s XF1 is the latest high-end compact camera to compete with the likes of Sony’s RX100 and brings with it a 12-megapixel sensor, f/1.8 lens, manual controls. It is a beautiful retro design that can’t fail to impress everyone that sees it. The camera’s image quality is markedly better than virtually all other compacts. The camera’s “average low-light performance” as a downside. While it may not beat the RX100 , the XF1 is still a camera for photographers who like something a little bit more unusual than the standard run of the mill point and shoots.

6.Nikon Coolpix A

Key features
- 16.2MP ‘DX’ format CMOS sensor
- 18.5mm (28mm equivalent) F2.8 lens
- ISO 100-6400 (with 12,800 and 25,600 equivalent extension settings)
- 3.0″ 920k dot LCD
- 14-bit uncompressed NEF Raw shooting capability
- Up to 4fps continuous shooting
- 1080p movies at 24, 25 or 30fps
- i-TTL compatible hot shoe
The Nikon COOLPIX A Digital Camera is a point-and-shoot equipped with a 16.2MP DX-format CMOS sensor for clear, detailed images, even in low light. The lack of an optical low-pass filter enables maximized resolution for exceptionally sharp details. The NIKKOR prime lens features a focal length of 18.5mm for wide-angle shooting, as well as a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture. Frame shots using the large 3.0-inch LCD monitor, which has a resolution of 921k pixels. Record Full HD 1080p video with stereo sound, and connect the supplied EG-CP16 cable for playback on your TV. Capture RAW still images for a higher level of creative control. Manual options like focus ring adjustment allow you to wield precision control over your compositions. Most of the operation system and the GUI are consistent with Nikon DSLRs. Exposure bracketing is available in both manual and auto modes.
May 19, 2014
How Social Media Helped Narendra Modi Win

Narendra Modi, leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party, won the 16th Lok Sabha elections on Friday. The stocks rose above the 25,000 mark for the first time, and the Rupee is finally getting stronger. As promised, the economic growth is moving forward in full force, but will this win deter and stunt us an independent inclusive state? Will the new ruling party ensure that the needs of the minorities are catered to? The nation is abuzz with questions about what Narendra Modi’s first big move as the Prime Minister of India may be.

While the country debates about the pros and cons of Modi’s victory. We decided to take a step back and take a look at the party’s strategic online campaign which subsequently led to their smooth win.

Futuristic Campaigning

There is no debate about the fact that political campaigns can be no longer constrained to traditional rallying. We’ve got something bigger and better connecting the voters and the potential leaders – the World Wide Web. The Bhartiya Janata Party ensured they had a strong online presence across each of the social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

While the BJP party campaigned extensively across the country, conducting rally’s in every village, town and city; they did something clever. They went a step ahead and used various methods of technology to keep their voters feeling included. Many rural areas which were hard to reach and had no access to the internet, screens were staged and recorded speeches were played. Through Facebook, the 14 million followers could track Narendra Modi’s every move during the campaign. Meetings with dignitaries, selfies with celebrities, were shared. It was used as a mini blog, giving an impression that we are directly receiving messages from the Narendra Modi himself. His YouTube channel, has an extensive collection of speeches and interviews. The speeches were available is several regional languages.

#ModifiedIndia

On Twitter, @NarendraModi’s victory tweet, “India has won” created record history by becoming the most retweeted and favourited tweet from India. After Barack and Michelle Obama, he is now the most followed politician on Twitter. #Tsunamo, #Modiheadto2RCR, #Mission272 and #ModifiedIndia were some of the top trends on Twitter for days.

While Narendra Modi has more than 4million followers on Twitter, Rahul Gandhi doesn’t even have a verified Twitter account. The second most followed contestant on Twitter was Arvind Kejriwal, leader of the Aam Aadmi Party. It could be considered as an attempt to keep his following informed, however his tweets were mostly overconfident grumbling and blatant false promises. Much like most of Kejriwal’s campaign, his rants were ill-focused and misguided. On the other hand, Modi’s team used the platform what its meant for, connecting and building a sense of community through short eloquent messages.

Brand Modi

Social Media Marketing works on one key concept – the appearance of underlying messages coming from a trusted source. The smartest move by BJP, was having a clear cut face for each of the platforms. More than promoting Bhartiya Janta Party, Narendra Modi’s name and face was everywhere. It is a classic case of branding – they have a focus group (the entire population of India), a client brief (their election manifesto) and a product (Mr Modi).

Overall, they used social media exactly like every major enterprise in the world is now using. Why shouldn’t they? A campaign is synonymous to a sales pitch. One that BJP mastered to the notch.

While many attributes may have contributed to BJP’s win, one has to give the credit to the party’s attempt to plan ahead and use the strongest connectivity tool existent today. The outcome of the five years is yet to be seem, but the party needs to be given respect for smartly using social media to mobilize and include the masses. This also helped them promote an image of complete transparency.

The slant and leaning of each of the political parties campaign’s were entirely reflected through their social media campaigns. Arvind Kejrival’s feeble attempt, Narendra Modi’s strong hold on the medium and Rahul Gandhi’s presence was entirely non-existent.

May 18, 2014
Peace at Last : Apple-Google War is Done for Good

Seems like every techie journalists staple source of conflict beat is about to get over. On Friday, Google and Apple decided to call it quits on the incessant exercise of suing and counter suing each other. They have asked the courts to dismiss the remaining patent lawsuits and have decided to settle the matters outside the courts.

The conflict between the two Silicon Valley giants started in 2010. Steve Jobs’ disdain for Google became evident when he commented on the fact that Google had ripped off the iPhone. In a strong statement, he swore he was going to spend his last dying breath trying to destroy Android since he believed it to be stolen. Words which didn’t suit his stature.

The company has now made a sensible decision of discontinuing needless pursuit. After all Android is at the top of the charts with 52.5% of the smartphone operating system market. The Android and the iOS have evolved into completely different systems now.

This gives no indication that the companies are going for a license sharing agreement. They will though use the money they were spending on expensive lawyers on real innovation in the market. A fact that satisfies everyone. The battle will now be on real free market capitalism principles. This advancement also doesn’t put an end to the Apple-Samsung wars which was widely viewed as the Apple’s proxy war on the Android system. Apple had won a compensation of $930 million against Samsung in 2012.

Motorola Mobility was also waging a patent war with Apple. Google bought Motorola Mobility to access Motorola’s patent library thereby protecting other Android Vendors. With the acquisition Apple and Google directly came face to face. Google later sold the Smartphone businesses of Motorola to Lenovo while keeping a majority of the patents.

There is also a happy ending to the story. Like in clichéd endings of movies about warring factions, the two super giants also agreed to work together in the field of patent reforms. This can be good for the overall market too. In an era where knowledge is increasingly getting privatized, an initiative by familiar names would help boost the conversation on the concept of patents in our economies.

May 17, 2014
Motorola Moto E Review : It’s Time to Switch
Its not often you see a phone sell out hours from launch, especially in India. The Motorola Moto E saw sales skyrocket the minute the handset went on sale, and there is a good reason behind it. The Moto E is built on the philosophy of the Moto X and the Moto G, two phone essentially responsible for bringing Motorola back into the same game they had originally started back in the day. But is the Moto E good enough to live up to the hype? and is it the only thing Motorola needed to defy all logic and become prominent again? Lets find out!

Overview

Motorola is trying to change the need of the hour, by re organizing spends and delivering Android in the purest form. The Moto E is a perfect example of what a user needs from a budget device. It lives up to almost any needs in this spend, however there is no kitchen sink.

Build Quality and Hardware

The Moto E is exceptionally well built, in fact if you put the Moto E and the Moto G side by side, there is hardly any noticeable difference in the build quality of both devices. The Moto E has a brilliant mix of quality materials and reinforced design along with a gorilla glass 3 front that will ensure that no one is disappointed with the phone. The Moto E also boasts water resistance and has an unknown IP coating that we will be soon putting to test. However the company claims that the handset is splash proof, just like the G and the X.

The Moto E also comes with customization options like replaceable back panels and special rubberized grip panels that will add color and strength to the already solid phone.

Hardware wise we are not empty either, the Moto E runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chipset on dual cores with 1 GB RAM and 4 GB storage, an Adreno 302 GPU completes the mix ( it is read as 305 in benchmark apps) . You have a 5 MP camera at the back, that does not live upto anything, and then there is the 1980 mAh battery which is simply wow. The display is a 4.3 inch 960 x 540px capacitive panel with great color reproduction and brightness.

1980 mAh battery which is simply wow.

The Moto E is a dual sim phone, which will create mobile hotspots using your 3G connection and can tether upto 5 devices for the use of 3G data. Battery life does not drain and the hotspot feature is very stable. The phone also has a nice white notification light on the right of the earpiece, that breathes once you get a new notification and goes away the minute you pull down the notification panel (you can disable this from the settings panel)

UI and Android

There is less to say here, it runs a sort of pure, yet tweaked version of Android 4.4.2 Kitkat out of the box. You do get two bloatware apps which can be uninstalled (oh thank god!) and some useful Moto apps like Moto Assist, Migrate and Alert. You might find yourself using these more than once. The great thing about Motorola’s intention behind a pure Android experience, unlike other manufacturers, is that the company plans to deliver updates almost as soon as Android gets updated in Mountain View (Google HQ). The Moto E also has a FM radio which will be appreciated by many, the FM reception is solid and the earpiece is needed as an antenna.

[pullquote] lives up beyond expectations and still remains very responsive[/pullquote]

The OS is buttery smooth and honestly you can’t ask for more from the handset, it lives up beyond expectations and still remains very responsive. This phone will be the benchmark for all phones going forward in this price bracket.

Battery

The Phone will beat all odds and defy all logic when it comes to battery performance. The Moto E can even run some heavy games, albeit one at a time, but games like Asphalt 8 runs on this US $ 120 phone and it is actually playable.

Battery life is also excellent from this dual sim handset, once you get over the initial phase of playing with the phone, most users should expect a good 1.5 days of use on this phone, with talk times running into 6+ hours in most cases with both sims installed.

Basically Motorola has a beautifully built rom of Android, that does not leak RAM and drain power, cellular antennas are strong so network searching is minimal and hence battery is saved there as well.

Phone and Networks

The dual SIM capability is just like the Moto G, and there is no surprise there. Calls are smartly forwarded to the next number once a SIM is busy. The network strength, as mentioned in the previous segment is surprisingly powerful and we are happy with the overall quality of networks and the call drops or the lack thereof.

Microphone and earpiece speaker are great and both sides will be pleasantly happy with the loud volumes.

Display, Camera and Multimedia

For all the coverage you have already seen, you should be aware by now that, the Moto E has the best possible display in this price bracket. Stop looking at specs and look at the actual quality of the display. It is crisp and bright, even outdoors, its got great viewing angles, its got gorilla glass 3 and smudge proof coating (which is brilliant by the way) and it is insanely responsive for an under 10k or even under 8k phone (INR).

The Camera is there, because its there. Honestly don’t plan on becoming a lifestyle fashion photographer with this phone (unless you already own a fancy camera). The fixed focus camera is there because they wanted people to have a camera, and it solves purely that purpose. That being said whatever pictures are clicked in good lighting and end up in focus, have good color reproduction and almost no noise. See samples: (coming up)

The LED flash is missing which is quite a shame. More than the need of a flash for the camera, consumers in this price bracket would have appreciated the LED flash as a torch. We really love our phone torches Motorola, our streets are not very well lit!

Multimedia wise, Motorola did a few good things; the speaker is now in the front, and not easily blocked by the hands, so it doesn’t muffle with ease. The audio is loud and clear, with a balanced output and an impressive sound from the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Lose the included handsfree for some real headphones to truly enjoy that audio bit. Display, like mentioned, is good so watching video or playing games is really enjoyable on this powerful budget device.

Conclusion

It takes a lot from a company to not make us so excited about a product, in fact India and many other nations in general appreciate the intent of the company. The Moto was sold out within hours of launch of sales in India, on the online shopping website Flipkart. This phone leaves little to complain about, it is well built, has great specs and features bundled with a unique and stock Android experience that will leave many happy. This is the best “first phone” for those wanting to jump the feature phone/Blackberry ship to a uber – budget Android device. It is also customizable with panels on the exterior and has a Gorilla Glass 3 and splash proof front making it a pseudo rugged, long lasting handset.

There are, however, major flaws in the current positioning of the phone. The handset is supposed to be an average mans everyday phone. It is supposed to be a emplacement for a feature phone and it’s supposed to be a phone for the masses and on a low end budget. This category of user is currently not happy or capable of shopping online. So by the time the phone gets sold from Flipkart and reaches the masses, the price escalates to Rs. 10000 and more, thanks to black market dealing and short supplies on this impressive product.

Motorola has made a fantastic phone, a phone that is truly a reason to switch from an old gen phone to Android on a budget. Why should you have to spend tens of thousands, when all you want is a phone that works well and gives you some basic functionality. Well the Moto E is here and it has changed the perception of the budget phone in our eyes. If you want to take our word for it, then the Time to Switch is Now!

(Note : the scoring below is entirely based on the Price vs ratio of each)

[tw-column width=”one-half”]
GOOD THINGS
- Well Built
- Responsive
- Stock Android
- Great Display
- Great Audio
- Solid Phone and Network
- Excellent Battery
[/tw-column]
[tw-column width=”one-half” position=”last”]
BAD THINGS
- Camera is Torrid
- Low Availability, Sold on Flipkart Only
- No LED Flash
[/tw-column]

Buy Now
May 17, 2014
Top 3 Mind-Blowing Superhero Gadgets for the Real World

People have a lot of differences, but one thing everybody can agrees on is that Superheroes are freaking awesome. Of course you have the odd Aquaman who nobody cares about, but overall everybody has fantasized about having superhuman abilities.

Unfortunately, the laws of nature don’t allow us to possess those abilities. There are gadgets invented by crazy fans that come close to creating real life imitations from the virtual world.

We look at some of these kickass superhero gadgets that can even make a septuagenarian jump like a seven year old kid.

1) Colin Furze’s Airpowered Wolverine Claws: Now here is a badass invention. Stainless steel blades activated by a back mounted pressure cylinder. He has also posted the DIY tutorial on youtube, which is dangerous, and quite frankyly would be a stupid move to try and imitate. People might actually get hurt. If you do decide to build one for yourself keep it away from kids UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

2) Yves Rossi’s JetPack: This years best movie without a doubt is Captain America : The Winter Soldier. It turned the Captain from an idealistic dud into an idealistic badass. The biggest revelation of the movie though was Falcon. The insane flight movements definitely deserve the status of “Legen- wait for it -dary”!.
There is infact a real life Jetman by the name Yves Rossi. Check out the video below to see him in action.

3) Cyberdyne Inc’s HAL 5: Terminator fans must be squirming right now, but this stuff deserves a mention. HAL 5 is an exoskeleton which catches weak signals from your skin to let you take control of the suit. HAL 5 (Hybrid Assistive Limb) is claimed to augment body movement and increase user strength by up to ten times. Add some flight capabilities, some serious firepower and JARVIS and you got your own Iron Man Suit.
The best part? It is being used for human welfare purposes, subsequently taking the edge off the negative connotations of its name.

May 16, 2014
The New-Age Talking Elevators

Norwegian comedy duo Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker, more famously known as Ylvis, pulled a series of pranks on unsuspecting hotel guests. After gaining international attention through their funny EDM joke-jam called “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)”, they are in the spotlight again for this hilarious prank.

The brothers got together and used a pseudo talking elevator called ‘Intelevator’ to confuse hotel visitors.

You have to watch the videos to love it, so go ahead:

May 16, 2014
Top 5 Apps to Manage Your Passwords

There’s a slight possibility that in next five years, we will not need pins and passwords to access any of our accounts. Instead, we simply need to look into cameras or speak into the device’s microphone and the work is done.

While we wait for that, we are stuck trying to manage multiple passwords. There’s a way out – thank god for companies attempting to providing us password managing apps to make our life much easier. This way you only need to remember one complex password to excess your secure website, credit card information and even documents that you keep inside encrypted data. Here are some of the best password manager available in market that can make your life easier:

LastPass

If you’re starting from scratch, chances are good you’ve used your browser’s built-in password management feature. LastPass will import those passwords, delete them from the browser, and turn off the browser’s password management. It provides various in-app features like automated form fill-out, allows for import and export, and permits sharing of passwords through the Internet (a better alternative than using plain text email, which is insecure). It also lets you create and keep simple notes, generate complex passwords, and create a USB key using Google Authenticator Support.

Price: Free for desktop, $12/year for mobile

Password Genie

Password Genie extends beyond passwords and PINs, serving as an information management app. It is especially useful for travelers. It can be installed on up to five PCs or Macs and can sync between devices, including Android and (soon) iOS. It automatically saves login credentials and replays as needed. It have option to lock automatically after inactivity and very effectively handles password change and new account signup.Password Ginie can stores a wide variety of personal data and automatically fills web forms. Built in live-chat and remote-control support is also available.

Price: $19.95/year (free 30-day trial)

Dashlane

Dashlane promises instant logins and checkouts. Offering many features that extend beyond password management, Dashlane incorporates social into its product by use of a points system that rewards you for securing passwords or storing online receipts. You can then use the points to unlock premium features, get free iOS apps and more. Dashlane facilitates online shopping through use of easy-to-understand color-coded information, enabling users to complete online transactions by clicking a few tabs. The basic version offers all the features of premium, but with limited support, a limited number of notes, and no mobile help. The premium account also includes all future premium features. Version 1.6 introduced Dashlane Courier, a secure way to transfer confidential data.

Price:$4.99/month or $39.99/year

Security Everywhere

Security Everywhere, made by mSeven Software, is a sync and security architecture that integrates with third-party cloud storage services. Currently, it only integrates with Dropbox, but according to the company’s website, support for iCloud is in development and other cloud systems are under consideration. Security Everywhere uses industry-standard 256-bit Blowfish encryption, 256-bit SHA password hash, file compression and enforcement of minimum sync passwords to keep data safe even if your Dropbox account is compromised. mSecure’s password manager comes with 17 standard templates for Web logins, credit cards, email accounts and frequent flyer numbers. You can also create custom templates with an unlimited number of fields. The app allows you to categorize records into groups and mark favorite records for fast access. The password generator creates stronger passwords that include symbols, upper- and lower-case, alpha-numeric combinations and more.

Price: Desktop: $19.99, Android and iOS: $9.99

Norton’s Identity Safe

Well-known security tool vendor Norton offers Identity Safe. Along with standard features such as support for multiple browsers, iOS and Android support, a form filler and unlimited notes, Identity Safe includes Safe Web, a browser extension that alerts you when a site might not be what it appears to be. Norton Identity Safe is a free download, with no premium upgrade, but you’ll need to link it to a new or existing Norton account.

Price: Free for desktop, iOS and Android

1Password

1Password is perhaps one of the most widely used password managing apps. It captures and replays passwords in IE, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari and can generate strong passwords. It manages many categories of personal information while syncing with multiple devices by storing password database in Dropbox. It has a very effective password rating security. 1Password stores more personal data than most password managers, but only some of that data is available for form filling. It handles password capture and playback well, but differently from browser to browser. It’s works decently well, but you can get the same functionality from popular free tools.

Price: $49.99 for desktop, iOS and Android

May 16, 2014
Net Neutrality Vote: The Verdict

Yesterday we told you about the FCCs net neutrality vote and its consequences on the future of free internet. The votes have been cast and though this is not the final word, it will begin a period of massive discussion on the issue which will go on for the next 4 months.

FCCs Chairman Tom Wheeler in an impassioned speech before the vote, stated clearly that he stood for “one internet”. The democratic commissioners including the chairman voted for adopting the proposal for “Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet.”

The proposal invites comments on a variety of proposals from all stake holders and the public in general.

Public comment period will happen in two phases. The first phase which will run for 60 days till July 27th will be the comment period. After this will begin the 60 day second phase which would be a response to the comments. All comments will be in public domain.

[quote text_size=”medium”]

Setting up of fast lanes is not exclusively discouraged in the proposal.

[/quote]

The most contentious issue has been the issue of “paid prioritization” or setting up of fast lanes which is not exclusively discouraged in the proposal.

The Internet Association, a trade group representing Google and other Silicon Valley giants, reinstated their belief that any kind introduction of a fast lane on the internet would lead to a dangerous precedent for the future of the internet.

Netflix reinstated their support for the net neutrality principle

Netflix had recently cut a deal with Comcast for faster access to its consumers. They officially stated that they have no intention of being a part of any “pay-to-play” initiatives and they completely support the net neutrality principle.

By getting the internet under a Title II classification, it will become a public telecommunications utility thereby will be completely under FCCs regulatory controls. This will potentially help keep the internet free and open for a long time to come.

Only the telecom companies, Verizon and Comcast claim a title II classification will lead to uncertainty in the market, loss of investment and jobs, which has been their obvious rhetoric for quite a while. These companies with their massive capital are capable of innovation in making the services more viable for them and the public, they would rather eye massive profits.

Senator Sanders is one of the strongest supporters of the principle

Senator Bernie Sanders who has been one of the fiercest supporters of net neutrality immediately delivered 19,000 comments on the issue.

The proposal also plans setting up of a public Ombudsman for investigation into discriminatory actions by the ISP’s.

The Republican commissioners of the five member board were vocal in their opposition to the plan. They stated that FCCs doesn’t have the legal authority to decide on the issue and it should be referred to the US Congress. This would be a really bad idea because the US Congress is infamous for being extremely polarized and is extremely inefficient in law making. Even a draft bill would completely bar FCCs authority over the issue. So what might get done by the end of this year can take forever in the House of Congress.

The commission made it clear that it wants to get the rules in place by the end of this year. Right now you can ask your American friends to make their voices heard and ask them to raise their voice for a free and fair internet.

May 16, 2014
Online Business Startups: Tips from the Pros

Facebook was once deemed a startup, along with Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Clearly, the internet has helped boost and encourage innovations. If you’ve spent any time researching social media then you may be familiar with the term “startup”. This generally describes a new business launched in a particular market.

For many “born-on-the-internet” companies, slow growth isn’t an option. These are companies that started on the web with a global marketplace in mind. Many are finding that you’d either scale or be considered irrelevant. They work hard to achieve market leadership, to realize economies of scale and economies of scope, and to be recognized as the brand leader. These types of business startups often start fast and never stay up; leaving the company financially drained. To maintain advantage, they need to have the proper building blocks in place and go full speed ahead with the best chances for success.

Standing out in the crowd is key since thousands of start ups go online every day. Mostly, these entrepreneurial dreams get crushed in the flood of new start ups and lose their audience. Today at iGyaan, our editor Bharat Nagpal and Harsh Agarwal, founder of The Asylum- A refuge for authors, tell us how to stay on top:

From the Editor’s Desk

Bharat Nagpal

Founder and Chief Editor of iGyaan. Bharat likes to keep on top of technology and loves to help people around him get through the day to day trouble they face with technology. So that, they can love technology as much as he does.

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I have learnt a lot of things while running my own company the past few years, but the most crucial lesson that I have learnt is to never underestimate the power of an idea! In the most simplest form; everything begins with an idea, and while we grow from one stage to another in our lives, our mind and our experiences throw ideas at us. In our day to day process, we often tend to ignore our “far fetched ideas” and soon forget them. The lifespan of the idea is only as long as you chose to build on it. While iGyaan was not the first idea that ever struck me, and not every idea is perfect, I did experiment with a lot of ideas prior to that, and failure only led me to be that much more adamant in believing in the power of my ideas. With each failure, I was that much closer to achieving what I wanted from each idea. Running a business is tough, particularly in India. Most of the things we take for granted are usually the most difficult things that we need done. Finding help for your business is the toughest part, and if you are afraid to go hands on with the dirtiest bits of the job, don’t expect someone else to do them for you. Whatever is beneath you is the most essential piece of the puzzle you forget to pick up, and hence the easiest way to break a structure. So if you have an idea, run with it, but run harder than you imagined. Pick up pieces as you go if you don’t have a plan, and don’t be afraid to be at the bottom, especially if you wish to reach the top.

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Chat with the Pro

Harsh Agarwal:

An artist by soul, entrepreneur by profession and engineering student by education, Harsh has three books in his credit. Apart from that, he has himself worked as an editor, freelance editor, mentor and speaker at the same time.

iGyaan: What inspired you to start an initiative like Asylum?

HA: I wanted to start with something I am passionate about and Asylum is the outcome of the same passion. Asylum means a refuge and that was the basic reason to start Asylum; creating a refuge for debutante authors. It wasn’t an impulsive decision. It’s hard to come up with an idea, but it’s harder to execute the same.

iGyaan: Tell us about some challenges that you face as young entrepreneur.

HA: One of the challenge – people fail to take me seriously and put their ego before everything. However that’s not always true; other than that, one of the major challenge is to survive, being from a middle class family and having parents who see a secured job as the definition of success. Choosing the road not taken is not a cake walk.

iGyaan: What is your take on internet being a tool for business?

HA: Internet is a saviour, I didn’t have good internet for first two years in college and I just wonder how much I would have progressed if I had it. Internet has a solution for every possible thing. There are all sorts of people, all sorts of services and products available on the internet. Being a budding entrepreneur, you need to do a hell lot of stuff yourself, which includes stuff that you don’t even have a clue about but now, there is nothing that can’t be learnt! There is nothing that can’t be found online. You just need to know how to look for it and the internet teaches you that as well.

iGyaan: And Finally, specifically for Asylum,what major steps you took to make it what it is?

HA: First of all, I checked what resources I have and what I don’t, that included both monetary and non monetary resources. Since I was from an engineering college, I got a friend to design the website for free and hired students to work for me. Facebook helped as a platform to hire more writers. More than money, interest mattered for people who were working for me and I had to make sure that the work they were doing was not monotonous for them; I had to give them a good variety. Thankfully, I built myself an amazing team. All in all, I had to know my team, clients and their expectations; and then to stabilize the demand and supply.

May 15, 2014
Net Neutrality vote: Our Internet is in Trouble

“Net Neutrality” – you might have heard this term in a passing reference on the internet or some news show. You may not know this yet, but this term directly has an effect on your life. We attempt to give you all the facts and tell you why you should care about net neutrality.

Tim Wu
Columbia Law Professor

The term, coined by Columbia media law professor Tim Wu in 2003, has been one of the major codes of conduct for the internet since its inception. It is the idea that internet service providers are not to discriminate between any content on the internet. The data packets which bring our services should all get equal access speed.

This basic principle has allowed the internet to be an environment which encourages open competition and has encouraged some phenomenal innovation. It has helped even the smallest business models to grow to become international conglomerates, the most prominent examples of this a Google and Facebook.

The Open Internet, Equal Access speed for all

The fact that general public doesn’t realize is that internet is not just a service anymore, it has now become a necessary utility. It is literally impossible to live without a decent internet connection especially in urban areas where it is used for bill payments, shopping, and admissions in universities; in fact internet has intertwined itself with all facets of our daily life.

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) had codified the Net Neutrality principles into law in the 2010 Open Internet order. This order was unfortunately squashed by a federal court recently and can spell doom for the internet as we know it. This ruling can help create a precedent for internet companies to create a fast lanes for the highest bidder. This means wensites who agree to pay more will get a faster access while everyone else will end up getting sub par connectivity.

Without Net Neutrality ISP’s can charge for individual websites.

Imagine an internet where you have to pay to access individual websites. Like a Cable subscription where you have to pay more for bandwidth intensive websites such as YouTube or Vimeo. Most importantly it would kill smaller start-ups who aspire to someday become the next Google.

Mark Zuckerberg could only succeed because of an open internet

The free and fair internet till now has given a level playing field for competition for all. So even a college freshman could create the Forbes listed, world’s biggest social medium called Facebook. It was also because of free internet that even iGyaan could reach its readers. But in a non net neutrality world, these guys will face the same obstacles which are faced by the real world business of finding resources.

The opponents of net neutrality make a point that currently websites with higher bandwidth consumption pay the same price to reach the consumers like any other website. But when road traffic started getting congested, the government created wider roads and not special roads for rich people. They should consider the same. The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) which are opposing net neutrality earn billions in profits each year. Instead of disrupting a unique ecosystem that is still evolving, it is ISP’s prerogative to invest in making the services more innovative and sustainable for them as well as the internet. The companies will make more money by providing quality services to its consumers instead of trying to squeeze the last penny off them.

Steve Wozniak is one of the major proponents of Net Neutrality. (Photo: Nichollas Harrison.)

The great Steve Wozniak makes an excellent analogy when he says that nobody charges you for your per kilometer travel, then why charge for telecom routes. When the roads require maintenance, the government comes to do their part and this must be the responsibility of the ISPs itself.

TRAI needs to formulate regulations now

In India though there are no specific laws safeguarding net neutrality. TRAI in its guidelines mentions non-discrimination, but it is not really enforced. The high cost of spectrum licensing in India and the ever growing burden of massive mobile devices market may lead companies to go for charging a premium on some websites. India’s BRICS companion Brazil recently enacted a brilliant piece of net neutrality legislation and we should ask our lawmakers for the same. All we as consumers can do is be vigilant and raise our voices when we see that happen.

There is going to be a vote at FCC on Thursday the 15th which will decide the future of our internet. This vote can go both ways, the commission can create a precedent where companies can charge websites for priority access. Or the commission can create a legally safe law in which internet will be treated as a telecom service thereby giving FCC complete authority to regulate it. The great news right now is that most of the commissioners are siding with the open internet platform but what happens on Thursday still remain to be seen.

There have been many times when governments try to bring laws which discourage the free exchange of ideas. SOPA, PIPA were some of the laws targeted towards decreasing the efficacy of the internet dialogue. But some good sense prevailed and saved our internet. Net neutrality advocates from around the world are wishing for the same and hope to keep the future of a free and open internet secure.

May 15, 2014
Google’s next version of Glass in Works

A few days back Google opened up the Glass program for everyone in the US with a valid credit card. While there were also reports of the Google Glass actually costing US $ 150 to build (which were later scrapped), it appears that the next version of Glass is already doing rounds of the RnD department.

Crystal Optech supplies Liquid Crystal on Silicon displays for the current version of Google Glass, Kong Wenjun of the company said that they were shipping newer displays for the next version of Glass.

Google has also involved a middle company in the purchase process which would help the Mountain View based search giant keep all of this under wraps. The latest version and the one we have is referred to as Google Glass Explorer Edition 2, which came out in October of 2013 and ships with a Mono Earbud.

While there are no specs or details or even a name available for the next version of Google Glass, it is also expected that Google will announce it at the upcoming I/O conference and this version may also be a public edition costing in the US $ 500 price bracket.

Google Glassware Gallery ( application store) also added new apps for Foursquare, TripIt and OpenTable making it a boon for the everyday traveller and connoisseur.

May 15, 2014
Nexus 6 and Nexus 8 Show up in Chromium Code

Google’s next edition of Nexus devices have been spotted in the new Chromium code, hinting confirmation of the Nexus 6 and the 8.9 inch tablet Nexus 8. While it’s not much to go on, references to the two devices have recently appeared in Chromium’s source code, as dug up by Florian Kiersch on Google+.

The reported changelog of Android 4.4.3 KitKat published on the Android Open Source Project (ASOP) has referred to HTC-made Flounder, and another product codename Molly. Where flounder is suggested to be the Nexus 8 which this time around could be an HTC built device. Molly on the other hand could be Android TV, both of which are expected to be launched at Google I/O Conference on the 25 and 26 June in San Francisco

Earlier, reports had claimed that the next-generation Nexus smartphone would come from LG, based on their new flagship device G3.The G3 could be a mix of the LG G Flex and the G2, So it may sport a 5.2-inch full HD curved LCD display. Everyone has their money down on the handset being powered by a 64-bit version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800-series chipset with 3GB RAM and running on Android 4.5 Lollypop.

The Nexus 8 on the other hand, if made by HTC, could mark the long awaited return of the taiwanese manufacturer in the tablet market. The push that a Nexus device could bring to HTC’s tablet line, may be as good as a push LG got.

It is also rumored that the Nexus 6 will be the last Nexus from Google, ending the Nexus saga from the Android maker. It is also assumed that Google will be developing a new name for its series of devices going forward, naming them with a different moniker.

May 15, 2014
PlayStation 4 Bookings open up, Shipping in a Week

A couple of days back we reported that the PS4 aka the Playstation 4 will be arriving to India on 14th May, and lo and behold major online retailers have started taking orders for the magical black box.

Sony stores and online retails have started taking bookings for the PS4 which has been in shortage since its launch early this year. The Playstation 4 suffered from the Blue light of death problem which had caused the company to rework their console and hence the lack of supplies.

It is said that this new batch of consoles headed for release will be void of that problem and will work without any overheating or chipset issues. Sony is also lining up the console to be available in time for major game releases, so that console sales can see a boost.

There are reports that Sony is also planning to drop the price of the PS4 to around Rs. 34,999 by August, so for those not in a rush a savings of 5000 may be up for grabs later this year.

You can click the button below to book your Playstation 4 , before it runs out of stock again.

[button link=”http://www.flipkart.com/sony-playstation-4-ps4/p/itmdrnshthv9egmf?pid=GMCDNZCHPFVHKGAT&affid=bhnagpalgm” size=”large” text_size=”beta” newtab=”on”]Buy Playstation 4[/button]

May 15, 2014
Moto E Dual Sim : Unboxing and Hands On
This is the Moto E box, its a simple box and a modern style of minimal packaging. Following along the lines of the Moto G, the box and the in box accessories are good quality, barring the earphones. Inside the box you will get the following:
- The Moto E
- Handsfree Kit
- English + Hindi Documentation
- USB Wall Charger
The Moto E is surprisingly well built and costs really less for that price, it runs Android 4.4.2 Kitkat out of the Box and has a decent set of specifications.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Chipset
- Dual Core CPU
- 1 GB of RAM
- 4 GB of Storage
- 4.3 inch 960 x 540px Display
- Gorilla Glass 3
- Smudge proof coating
- 1980 mAh Battery
- 5 MP Camera
The new Motorola Moto E is sold via online ECommerce website Flipkart and they are the only place you will be able to buy this handset. Flipkart is also responsible for support and warranties on this new handset. The Moto E may single handedly be the reason to switch from a feature phone to a smartphone. Check out our Unboxing above and Hands on below. You can also Buy the Moto E starting today using the link below.

Buy Now
May 14, 2014